Be sure to check out how you can get a FREE copy of Catherine’s original short story, Formals, Fortune Cookies & Fraud!
Details at the bottom of the page.

SILENCED BY SUGAR, the fifth book in the Cookies & Chance Mystery series by Catherine Bruns finds protagonist, Sally Muccio Donovan, celebrating six months of blissful marriage to Mike. This newest book shows a more emotional side to Sally, with a different focus than previous books. Instead of detracting, it reflects the natural progression in real life and adds to the story. I love how the author has allowed Sally to grow over the course of the series and how she now exhibits an inner strength that wasn’t apparent at the beginning. Even her best friend, Josie, notices. And that’s saying a lot because Josie is quite the spitfire!

Click on the book to visit Amazon

Sally’s strength and determination are soon put to the test when Josie is arrested, accused of murdering her former nemesis. I loved how, in addition to Sally getting involved in trying to prove her friend’s innocence, her entire family rallies behind Josie. It’s just one example of the close-knit relationship Sally and her family have, despite the hijinks of her parents… who, by the way, are quite a hoot! Sally’s investigation into the murder turns up lots of suspects. So many people could have wanted the witch (with a capital B) dead! Sally must sift through a lot of clues to find the truth and I’ll have to admit, I didn’t see the suspenseful ending coming. Ms. Bruns provides enough twists and drama (the good kind!) to keep the reader turning pages until the very last word is read.

Sally owns the bakery, Sally’s Samples, where Josie bakes up all sorts of delectable cookies. I had the honor of providing a recipe for Lemon Crinkles for the book, that Sally serves to their customers. These tart-sweet treats are a bit crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. My youngest granddaughter is a huge lemon fan and these are one of her favorite cookies. In fact she’d be happy if these Lemon Crinkles made it onto our Christmas cookie platter annually, and for Valentine’s Day, and birthdays, and… well, you know what I mean! Fortunately they are easy to mix up and since the dough must be chilled, you can make them a few days in advance of baking them. I’ve included directions on how to freeze for long-term storage so you can enjoy spur-of-the-moment freshly-baked cookies when you need them. I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we do!

Amazon Synopsis

Full-time baker and sometime-sleuth Sally Muccio is enjoying life as a new bride and only wishes that sales in her bakery would pick up. So when popular TV host Donna Dooley invites her and best friend, Josie, to be guests on Someone’s in the Kitchen with Donna, it’s the answer to their prayers. The pair is excited about the opportunity until they discover Donna’s new assistant is none other than Josie’s former nemesis from culinary school, Kelly Thompson. 

Like cookies in a hot oven, temperatures rise, and their animosity escalates into a food fight during the taping—which then goes viral! But when a dead body is then discovered on the set, fingers immediately point to Josie, and Sal’s usual sassy partner is at a loss of how to defend herself. Sal’s world is once again plunged into chaos as she attempts to keep her friend out of jail, control a blast from the past that threatens to harm her marriage, and keep her crazy parents at bay as they film a commercial for a funeral home. Already knee deep in dough, Sal discovers a possible link between the current murder and an unsolved one from the past. But she’ll have to work fast because a killer is on her trail and determined to silence Sal…forever. 

A special thanks to Catherine Bruns for providing one winner with a print copy of SILENCED BY SUGAR!  Contest ends Wednesday, January 24, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

Print

Lemon Crinkles

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (7.1 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon extract, depending on how lemony you want
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 cups (7.2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For rolling dough

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Don't preheat the oven yet. The cookie dough will need to chill first.

   
   

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

   
   

3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

   
   

4. In the bowl of a standing mixer, whip the butter and granulated sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes on medium speed.

   
   

5. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated.

   
   

6. Mix in the vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

   
   

7. With the mixer running on lowest speed, slowly add the flour mixture. Beat just until it is fully incorporated.

   
   

8. Cover the cookie dough with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or even overnight.

   
   

9. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).

   
   

10. Place remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.

    
    

11. Form cookie dough into small balls, about a heaping teaspoon.

    
    

12. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Don't crowd the cookies as they spread. You should have 12 cookies per baking sheet.

    
    

13. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. The edges should just be turning light golden and the tops should be crackled.

    
    

14. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack.

    
    

15. Cool completely and store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

    
    

Tip

1. These cookies are ideal for making ahead of time and freezing for spur-of-the-moment freshly-baked cookies! Simply roll the dough balls in the sugar, then freeze them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. When solid, transfer the dough to a freezer-safe ziplock bag. When ready to bake, place the dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet and allow to sit at room temperature while pre-heating the oven. You may need to bake an additional minute, depending on how chilled the dough is when you start baking. 
   

Notes

Makes 30 - 40 cookies depending on size.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

For a short time, the e-book for SILENCED BY SUGAR is on sale for $2.99! Be sure to grab it before the price increases.

For anyone who purchases Silenced by Sugar, Catherine is giving away her original short story, Formals, Fortune Cookies & Fraud for FREE! This is a lighthearted mystery novella that’s a prequel to Tastes Like Murder and takes place on Sally’s fateful prom night. For details on how to obtain your copy, please click on the book below:

Click on book to obtain your FREE copy!

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Click on book to visit Amazon

DIAL M FOR MOUSSE, the third book in the Emergency Dessert Squad Mystery series by Laura Bradford, is just as adorably delightful as the very first book! The puns entertained me while the plot kept me speculating on ‘whodunnit’, and the characters warmed my heart. Protagonist, Winnie Johnson, is an extremely likeable young woman with a heart of gold. I so enjoy her close relationship with her elderly neighbors and how she is involved in their lives on a daily basis. They, in turn, are eager to help her out when she and her best friend, Renee, stumble across the body of the woman who hired them to provide desserts for five artists. Winnie’s business, Emergency Dessert Squad, is one of the cleverest business ideas I’ve come across. Winnie creates custom desserts and delivers them in a vintage ambulance that she inherited from an elderly neighbor (along with a cantankerous cat that does not like her new owner). What makes it even better are the super fun names Winnie creates for her desserts: Your Jokes Make Me Snicker-doodle Cookies; Apple Kootchy-Kootchy-Koo Kuchen; You’re A Peach Pie, to name a few.

Laura packs the story with so many clever scenes such as Winnie having a “conversation” with a mime and gives such vivid descriptions that you feel like you’re living the moment. Winnie’s budding relationship with single dad, Jay, might be hitting a snag when his teenaged daughter tries to drive a wedge between them. Can Winnie find a way to win over both the surly teen and her cat while finding a killer? I devoured this book until I finished the very last page and eagerly look forward to reading more of Winnie’s story!

Winnie creates so many delightfully clever desserts and luckily for the reader, Laura includes a couple recipes at the back of the book. I was drawn to Your Jokes Make Me Snicker-doodle Cookies for a couple of reasons. My mother-in-law used to make Snickerdoodle Cookies years and years ago. Unfortunately I don’t have her recipe and it’s a cookie my husband has fond memories of. Secondly, since he cannot consume dairy, it’s nice to find a recipe that doesn’t contain any butter so I didn’t have to do any adjustments so he could eat it. Then, of course, there’s the cookie itself: a bit crunchy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside. A burst of spiced flavor from the cinnamon and sugar on the outside giving way to a sweet cookie on the inside.  It’s a bite of comfort in a small package, bringing back wonderful memories and creating new memories with our granddaughters.

Amazon Synopsis

The Emergency Dessert Squad business is booming, with owner and baker Winnie Johnson working overtime to satisfy the emergency cravings of Silver Lake, Ohio. Her latest order, a plate of motivational desserts for an artists’ retreat, is just what she needs to keep her mind off her own relationship woes.
 
But Winnie’s problems seem like trifles when she discovers the body of retreat owner Sally Dearfield mere inches away from five oh-so-eccentric and viable suspects. Now, this baking detective must uncover the inspiration behind Sally’s murder before another creative genius is iced.

A special thanks to Laura Bradford for providing one winner with a print copy of DIAL M FOR MOUSSE!  Contest ends Sunday, January 21, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST and is limited to U.S. residents only. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

Print

Your Jokes Make Me Snicker-Doodle Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).

2. Grease or line cookie pans with parchment paper.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar.

4. Add eggs, mixing after each one. 

5. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

6. Stir into the creamed mixture.

7. In a smaller bowl, stir together the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the cinnamon.

8. Roll the dough into balls, then roll in the bowl with sugar mixture.

9. Place cookies on prepared cookie pan, about 2 inches apart.

10. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Pin to Pinterest:

If you watch the video, be on the lookout for my oopsie in starting my mixer… accidentally going full speed after adding the flour instead of gently starting it. Guess I was a bit distracted but it sure made my granddaughter laugh 🙂  

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Click on book to visit Amazon

ESCAPE CLAWS, the first book in the brand new Cat Lady Mystery series by Linda Reilly is a charming visit to Whisker Jog, New Hampshire and is chock-full of memorable characters, human and feline alike! I loved that the very beginning starts with a list of the feline cast with their adorable names and characteristics. The protagonist, Lara Caphart, is an admirable woman with a generous, thoughtful personality. After showing up to help her invalid aunt care for the eleven cats she has taken in, Lara finds her aunt is being harassed by the town’s wealthy bully, Theo Barnes. When Lara is led to Theo’s murdered body by Blue, the Ragdoll cat from her childhood, she realizes she needs to stay in town and protect her aunt. There is a subplot mystery woven around the murder mystery of why Lara had become estranged from her beloved aunt after being so close to her as a young child. The author explores familial relationships and how they can go awry. 

There is also an ongoing mystery of just who Blue, the Ragdoll cat is and where he came from, especially since Lara’s aunt claims she never had a Ragdoll cat. The murder mystery has plenty of suspects and the author provides enough clues to keep you guessing and turning pages. The reveal was a surprise that I didn’t see coming! I greatly admired that Ms. Reilly brings to light the plight of unwanted cats and the lack of facilities to humanely care for them. She provides a heartwarming conclusion to the story that will make you want to come back and read the next story in this series just as soon as it’s available. 

While the book didn’t have any recipes, Lara’s aunt used to make her Butterscotch Brownies when she was a child and this treat brings back precious memories. I love how food can connect us to our past and to those who are dear to us. I was honored to create a recipe for Butterscotch Brownies to share with you and hope that I captured the taste as Lara remembers them! 

Amazon Synopsis 

For the first time in sixteen years, Lara Caphart has returned to her hometown of Whisker Jog, New Hampshire. She wants to reconnect with her estranged Aunt Fran, who’s having some difficulty looking after herself-and her eleven cats. Taking care of a clowder of kitties is easy, but keeping Fran from being harassed by local bully Theo Barnes is hard. The wealthy builder has his sights set on Fran’s property, and is determined to make her an offer she doesn’t dare refuse.

Then Lara spots a blue-eyed ragdoll cat that she swears is the reincarnation of her beloved Blue, her childhood pet. Pursuing the feline to the edge of Fran’s yard, she stumbles upon the body of Theo Barnes, clearly a victim of foul play. To get her and Fran off the suspect list, Lara finds herself following the cat’s clues in search of a killer. Is Blue’s ghost really trying to help her solve a murder, or has Lara inhaled too much catnip?

 A special thanks to Linda Reilly for providing one winner with an e-book copy of ESCAPE CLAWS!  Contest ends Sunday, January 14, 2018 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!) 

Print

Butterscotch Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Drizzle (optional)

• 2 tablespoons butterscotch chips
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, divided

Instructions

Brownies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).

2. Line an 8 x 8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Spritz with non-stick cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until well combined.

4. Whisk in the egg, vanilla and salt.

5. Using a spatula, fold the flour into the sugar mixture, just until combined. Don't over mix.

6. Stir in the butterscotch chips, then spread in the prepared pan.

7. Bake 20 to 23 minutes. The top will look shiny and the edges will start to crack a bit. Don't over bake. 

8. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan, then using the foil, remove from the pan and place on a cutting board.

Drizzle

1. In a small bowl melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, remove and stir the chips then heat in 15 second increments stirring each time until chips are fully melted.

2. Drizzle over the cooled brownies.

3. In a small bowl melt the butterscotch chips with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, remove and stir the chips then heat in 15 second increments stirring each time until chips are fully melted.

4. Drizzle the butterscotch perpendicular to the chocolate drizzle or channel Jackson Pollock. 

5. Allow the drizzle to harden then slice into 16 squares. (You can place in the refrigerator to harden the chocolate more quickly.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Pin to Pinterest:

If you receive my blog post via email you will need to visit my website to view the video.

I was provided an advance copy with the hopes I would review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.